California weighs competing textile EPR proposals

SAN FRANCISCO – Under the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707), signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2024, producers of apparel, linens, handbags and other covered textile items are required to form or join a designated Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) that can implement a statewide system for collection, reuse, repair and recycling. The law is the first U.S. textile-specific EPR regime and places financial and operational responsibility on the industry rather than consumers and local governments.

CalRecycle, the agency administering the law, must review all eligible PRO applications and select one by 1 March 2026. A PRO is expected to be up and running with a comprehensive plan detailing how textile waste will be diverted from landfills, how infrastructure will be financed, and how performance metrics will be met and monitored.